The term Degrowth sounds simple: the planned reduction of energy and resource use designed to bring the economy back into balance with the living world in a way that reduces inequality and improves human wellbeing. There are plenty of scholars looking at Degrowth with an academic lens. There is plenty of criticism by green growth proponents. Both sides take the approach to plan for entire populations, fair enough, that’s what policy and government is about. This (ad)venture covers Degrowth in the context of personal and small business action and shifts in mindset, not diving into the underlying belief set of growth or nogrowth.
HOWEVER
Are people still believing in the “trickle down effect”? And are we still hoping we “make it one day”? Does earning more mean consuming more?
We need to start seeing our own power. We must tap into personal dignity. This can come in various ideas, such as not selling out to keep feeding the never satisfied monster of consumption. Highlighting the need to accept material limits, designing and putting numbers on limits to pop our individual bubbles and release humans into togetherness. Because this crisis affects all of us, everywhere. For the meantime, we ignore the poor buggers fleeing to Mars.
We will cover consumption, community, emissions and wellbeing. And it needs to be flexible and interactive. Let’s start.
More on Degrowth (and feel free to dive into the opponents of Degrowth too):
Emotions and bubbles of identity around Degrowth, Vlad Bunea on YouTube
https://twitter.com/degrowthtalks
A short video: What is Degrowth?